Awesome Mix Vol 1
by RebellingStagnation
Summary: The five times Negaduck didn't believe Gosalyn was telling the truth. And the one time he did. Takes place in between "Safe and Sound" and "I Bet My Life" because I can't do anything simply. Rated T for strong language.
1. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

**_A/N: Hello again! Welcome back to the Geronimo Universe (as I've decided to call it). These one-shots, much like the Christmas one-shots, all take place one year after the one before it. I'll be more specific about the timeline in each one-shot._**

 ** _This one takes place about one year after "Safe and Sound" and a few months after the Christmas one shot collection "At Christmas" through "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas"._**

 ** _Amelia gave me the following line to use somewhere in this story: "I called and you didn't answer." I hope you like it!_**

* * *

"What the _hell_ was that?" Negaduck ground out as he swooped onto their rooftop, his dark cape billowing out behind him.

This was the rooftop where their partnership had started.

The Second National Bank. Gosalyn had chosen it as a slight against Negaduck when they'd met up here the first time. She could have just as easily chosen the _First_ National Bank, but no. The _Second_ National made more sense for St. Canard's Public Enemy Number _Two_.

Not that Negaduck had noticed that she'd chosen the building out of spite.

Or, if he had, he hadn't said anything. But Gosalyn had been absurdly proud of herself for pulling one over on the Masked Menace at their first encounter.

It wasn't until their second meeting on the roof, after _everything_ had changed between them because of their Duckburg case, that Gosalyn realized the Second National Bank was taller than the First National Bank. The Second National was, in fact, the tallest Bank in St. Canard with the most offices and the more important clients.

Okay, so her initial pettiness had come back to bite her. But Negaduck had also been a surprise in himself. With a deep capacity to trust but with such low self-esteem it was a wonder he was able to get out of bed in the morning.

So, the Second National Bank was really the perfect example of Gosalyn's initial prejudice and her eventual realizations. Because of this, it became their meeting place when they were in the Prime Universe.

She was still looking for a good place to meet in the Negaverse. Banks didn't exist, most of the rooftops were crumbling in on themselves, and they couldn't use Avian Way as a meet-up location during cases because of its personal ties to Negaduck. But nowhere else in the city held any significance for them.

There _was_ the building where Gosalyn had been shot, but that was still too raw for both of them, even if a whole year had passed since the incident.

She suspected it would always be a little raw.

So.

The Negaverse was a work in progress.

But they had the Second National in the meantime.

Gosalyn shrugged as Negaduck stalked toward her. "I called and you didn't answer."

"Because I was fighting with that pathetic excuse of a hero—"

"Fighting _with_?" Gosalyn interrupted, effectively halting his tirade of her father's qualities. "Dad will be so happy to hear he's been promoted from fighting _against_."

"You _left_ me," Negaduck snarled, a dark feral sound that slid all the way down Gosalyn's spine.

And, okay, _that's_ why he was so pissed.

Usually she'd just keep talking until he calmed down, but she didn't need to this time.

Because his claim wasn't true.

She'd never used _logic_ with the Lord of the Negaverse before.

No time like the present.

"I didn't, though."

"That do-gooder was _prepared_ with his gas gun and—" Negaduck blinked at her. "What? Yes, you did! I looked up and you'd _disappeared_. How is that _not_ leaving?"

"Just because I disappear from your line of sight it doesn't mean that I _left_."

Negaduck cocked an eyebrow, suspicion reflected in his icy blue eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If you didn't leave, then where did you go?"

"To disarm the silent alarm you and Dad had triggered when you both got too close to that sculpture."

"Which sculpture?"

Gosalyn threw her hands in the air. "Take your pick! It's not like it was a rare exhibit that had beefed up security because it was _thousands_ of years old. Oh, _wait_ …." She rolled her eyes, which seemed to calm Negaduck. Annoyance and irritation usually did.

"Still," Negaduck said, shaking his head and re-focusing on her, "you left the room."

"To _help_ you," Gosalyn said around a sigh.

"You _and_ the pilot left," Negaduck pointed out.

"Launchpad," Gosalyn corrected.

But, yeah, they had.

Darkwing and Negaduck had been fighting using their altered Kung Fu style that they both swore up and down they'd been taught. Gosalyn only claimed the fighting style was bogus because she'd tried to learn it herself. There was no rhyme or reason to any of it, but once she mentioned that, her father and Negaduck both – _separately_ – scoffed at the idea that how they fought one another was less about strategy and more "by the seat of their pants."

Once the two Mallards were engaged in their maybe-made-up combat, Gosalyn had simply glanced at Launchpad. Without a word, the two had turned and walked out of the gallery doors. Gosalyn went to the security system near the entrance, making quick work of the silent alarm. Launchpad had gone out the front doors, walking down the sloping gardens to where the Thunderquack had been parked. Because even though Gosalyn was working at stopping the silent alarm, someone somewhere had probably been alerted. Leaving as soon as possible was the safest bet.

After disabling the alarm, Gosalyn had walked back to the traveling Egyptian exhibit, only to find the room now empty. The windows along the far wall had been opened and she'd seen the Thunderquack taking off into the skies. So, her father had probably climbed aboard with Launchpad. But where Negaduck had gone was anyone's guess.

Calling out, "Negaduck?" hadn't brought the villain out from wherever he was hiding, so Gosalyn had shrugged and sprinted toward the museum entrance to meet the Thunderquack. Once they were back at Darkwing Tower, Gosalyn had slipped away to the Second National and, sure enough, Negaduck had shown up.

 _This_ was why she wanted a safe meet up location in the Negaverse. For when cases didn't go as planned and they had to split up. They needed somewhere to meet after.

But whatever.

Another day.

"Whatever his name is," Negaduck ranted, "you were both gone."

"We'd left to go—"

"Ah ha!" Negaduck exclaimed. He pointed a finger at her and was so like her father for a split second that Gosalyn had to blink and remind herself which Mallard she was with. "You _admit_ that you left!"

Gosalyn glowered at him. "I walked out of the room—"

"You _left_ ," Negaduck reiterated, something in his gaze other than triumph.

Why was he so fixated on _leaving_? That specific terminology.

 _"_ _You_ left _me!"_

 _"_ _How is that_ not _leaving?"_

 _"_ _Still, you left the room."_

Was it because Negaduck had been expecting this? Had been waiting for the day when Gosalyn would _leave_?

That had to be it. Her brain tried to supply other explanations – that he was obsessive, that he was trying to control her because he couldn't control the situation around him, that his paranoia was kicking in – but she knew it boiled down to Negaduck's fear of abandonment.

He'd never say so. Maybe not even think it. But Gosalyn knew with everything in her that the fear was real and all-consuming.

And today, that fear had been realized. With a girl he had already decided to give a second chance to. It was so against his character to try again with a relationship; he must've been waiting for this to fail from the beginning.

And now, in his mind, it had.

Gosalyn had left.

Except she hadn't.

And she _wouldn't_.

Knowing this was one of those moments when everything changed, Gosalyn looked Negaduck dead in the eye.

"I'm not going to leave you," she said calmly.

"You _did_ , though. You admit it?" Negaduck challenged, a smug look on his face.

"Negaduck." She reached out, gently taking the hand that had been pointing at her accusingly, and wrapped her fingers around his. "I'm not going to leave you."

There was a shift in his gaze, his expression changing to something like awe as he studied her.

It didn't stay, though.

Negaduck shook himself, tugging his hand back. "You can't know that." Despite his efforts to compose himself, Negaduck's voice shook just a little as he said it.

Gosalyn wanted to hug him, but there was no telling what would happen if she did _that_ , so she just shrugged. "Maybe not. But I won't."

He continued to stare at her, reminding Gosalyn of a deer. But after a few moments, he seemed to come to a conclusion, his jaw tightening.

"So, you won't – you won't leave me when we're on a case?"

And outside cases. In general. She would fight to get back to him, to stay at his side no matter what.

She wanted to say that, and it was right there in her beak, because this realization – this sudden protectiveness – was new to her, too, and she wanted to _tell_ him all of that until he believed her….

But, instead, she smiled at him and nodded, saying, "Sure."

Negaduck's eyes scanned over her expression before he exhaled, his tension and vulnerability leaving with his breath. In the next moment, Negaduck was Negaduck again with annoyance in his eyes and a scowl pulling his beak down into a frown.

"How many silent alarms were there?" he asked.

"Fifteen at least."

"In that _one_ room?"

"What part of 'rare exhibit that's thousands of years old' is confusing to you?" she wondered.

One day, she promised herself. One day Negaduck would know she was telling the truth.

That she wouldn't leave.


	2. Spirit In The Sky

**_A/N: T_** ** _his one takes place after the Christmas one shot collection "Perfect Christmas Night" through "Believe". So, about a year after "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"._**

 ** _The line I was challenged to use for this story is: "Don't you dare lie to me."_**

* * *

"Care to explain?" Negaduck asked, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

Moliarty straightened his tie, sliding the knot up to rest in the hollow of his throat. Negaduck's fingers itched to grab at the tie himself and choke on the breath from this minuscule rodent, but he fisted the material of his cape instead.

It would've been easy, though.

So _very_ easy.

Well, choking the ever-living out of the deranged mole could always be his backup plan.

With his tie adequately in place, Moliarty locked gazes with Negaduck, a smug look painted on his small pinched features. "I was scouting the area."

No.

No, something didn't add up.

Negaduck smelled a rat.

Or a mole.

Whatever.

"Don't you dare lie to me," Negaduck snarled.

Moliarty sneered. "Why would I waste my precious time lying to _you_?"

With a roll of his eyes, Negaduck's hands darted out and grabbed ahold of Moliarty's collar, his fingers wrapping around that idiotic tie as he swung the tiny villain up and slammed him against a nearby building.

Which didn't do much to the small peon's nerves because Moliarty insisted, "I don't know what you want me to tell you; I was scouting the street for my upcoming crime."

"But not the crime _I_ arranged for you," Negaduck growled, leaning in so close he was the only thing in Moliarty's line of vision.

Even now, when he was being held up by the front of his suit and pinned against a wall, Moliarty had the gall to roll his eyes. " _Please_ ," he spat. "That petty burglary wasn't even worth my consideration, let alone my dazzling criminal talents. I was scouting the street for a crime worthy of me."

Negaduck had been doing better with controlling his temper.

No, really.

He was _miles_ from where he used to be.

But _this_.

It was amazing how much progress could be lost in a few short seconds.

Blinding rage coursing through him, Negaduck brought up his other hand, wrapping his fingers around the mole's neck.

So choking the life out of Moliarty had become plan A. Good thing Negaduck was flexible.

He was starting to tighten his grip, his fingers barely digging into the tender flesh of Moliarty's jugular, when he heard, "Don't even think about it," from behind him.

Recognizing the speaker, Negaduck snarled. The only reason he didn't whirl around to argue was because he caught sight of the blind panic on Moliarty's face.

"B-but," the small villain stuttered, his beady eyes growing comically large as he glanced at Negaduck, "you work alone! Y-you don't have anyone—"

"Drop it, Moliarty," Gosalyn said, her voice nearer than it had been a moment ago.

Drop it? Drop what?

But Moliarty complied, something clattering to the ground as he raised his hands up over his head.

Glancing down, Negaduck saw a Taser gleaming against the black asphalt and one of Moliarty's trouser pockets turned inside out.

So.

Moliarty had come prepared. And Negaduck in his anger – his all-consuming rage – hadn't noticed his adversary had been planning his own retaliation. How much of Moliarty's confession had been meant to goad Negaduck into a rage so Moliarty could harm him?

Stomach roiling, Negaduck glanced up at Moliarty, swallowing the bile that threatened to creep up his throat. He _hated_ being manipulated. And this second-rate villain had so nearly accomplished just that.

But now.

He wouldn't be taken for a fool again.

Moliarty would regret going up against Negaduck.

"It's good you obeyed her so quickly," Negaduck purred, smoothing down the tails of Moliarty's tie with one hand as his other rearranged its hold onto the collar of his shirt. "She hates repeating herself."

"So annoying," Gosalyn agreed. And Negaduck was grateful for it. If partners intimidated Moliarty, then a unified fighting force would scare the shit out of him. Gosalyn probably knew that. She was smart, something Negaduck had taken for granted.

"Now," Negaduck said, the picture of composure even though his blood was still boiling at Moliarty's treachery, "how about we try this again?"

Moliarty glanced over Negaduck's shoulder to where Gosalyn was, no doubt, standing. Swallowing visibly, he returned his gaze to Negaduck. "I-I was casing the area you assigned me."

"A little early to be visiting there, isn't it?" Negaduck asked.

"A whole _week_ early," Gosalyn said. God, she was amazing. Negaduck bit back a smirk as he continued to study Moliarty.

"I, um… yes. Yes, it's early. I wanted to see the place for myself."

"Was my information not clear to you?" Negaduck asked, his tone rising in false surprise.

"N-no, not a-at all. I-I… I wanted—"

"You," Negaduck interrupted, "were looking to commit another crime that was _worthy of you_. Isn't that right?"

Defiance and irritation sparked in Moliarty's eyes and he opened his mouth to retort, but the sound of Gosalyn drawing her bow string echoed in the silence, causing panic to flash across Moliarty's face again. He glanced between Gosalyn and Negaduck, at a loss of what to do or even who to address.

Negaduck made the decision for him.

"I'll tell you what," Negaduck said, smoothing the wrinkles out of Moliarty's suit. "You sit this one out. I'll try to find you another crime. A better one."

"What? No! You can't take this away from me!"

"Sounds like he just did," Gosalyn said and Negaduck could just see her shrugging as she said it.

"It's my mistake," Negaduck mentioned, dropping Moliarty unceremoniously, taking some pleasure when the small villain grunted as he came in contact with the ground. "This crime is better for someone else. It's not _worthy_ of you." He turned and, catching sight of Gosalyn, walked over to her. She kept her gaze and arrow trained on Moliarty as he scrambled to his feet.

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Moliarty whined, tugging his shirt and suit back in place. "You won't let anyone commit their own crimes and I have a whole colony of moles to think about!"

Negaduck glared down at Moliarty. "Guess you should have thought of that earlier."

Moliarty glowered. He was going to say more, Negaduck could see that annoying _need_ of wanting the last word.

Not willing to deal with it, Negaduck grabbed his pistol out of his cape and fired a round into Moliarty's shoulder.

Gosalyn winced as the small tyrant collapsed, howling in pain. Negaduck walked up to him, scooping up the Taser on his way.

"You're not in charge here, Moliarty." Negaduck crouched beside him, caressing the side of the mole's face with the barrel of his gun. Still hot from use, the end of it burned Moliarty's cheek, causing the small gangster to cry out again.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," Negaduck soothed. He leaned in closer, whispering, "Remember who makes the rules next time."

One last caress along Moliarty's jaw and Negaduck stood. Holstering his pistol, he strolled own the street, Gosalyn matching his stride beside him.

After a few blocks, when they were definitely out of ear-shot, Negaduck glanced toward Gosalyn. "I'm surprised you showed."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I did."

Negaduck shrugged, trying to be noncommittal. "I know you're not a fan of my methods."

Gosalyn glanced at him, slowing her pace fractionally. "Is that why you tried to sneak off early? So I wouldn't go with you?"

" _Tried_ to sneak off early?" Negaduck asked, purposefully ignoring the questions.

She sighed, clearly aware of his avoidance, but said, "Obviously you weren't successful in sneaking off if I was able to find you."

"I'll have to try harder next time," Negaduck said begrudgingly.

"I wish you wouldn't." Gosalyn easily leapt over a pothole, landing lightly on her feet beside him. "Even if I don't like what you're doing, I want to be there."

"To back up the methods you hate so much?" Negaduck wondered, weaving expertly through the hoards of decaying cars that lined the streets. He could blame the distance he was putting between himself and Gosalyn on the Negaverse's landscape. Doesn't matter if that was the _real_ reason or not. Negaduck just needed _options_. A way to explain himself.

"To be there for _you_ ," Gosalyn said, climbing up and down the cars as she walked over the hoods and roofs of the rusting automobiles. Which was a stupid and tiring path. Until Negaduck realized it kept her close to him without actually walking _next_ to him. Because she knew closeness made him anxious. Especially after he'd been proven wrong.

Was he really _that_ transparent? First to Moliarty and now to Gosalyn? He needed to work on his menace….

And then her words hit him.

 _"To be there for_ you _."_

Even when she disagreed with his interrogations and his methods, she was willing to go. To stand beside him. Support him.

 _"Negaduck, I'm not going to leave you."_

And where the _hell_ had that come from? It wasn't like he _hadn't_ thought about those words since Gosalyn had said them — God, was it last _year_? — but to think of them _now_.

He glanced over at Gosalyn, who was still leaping from one car to another, like she was the avatar in a video game.

She'd kept her promise.

So far.

If only she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it.

Promises were always broken, even if they had the best intentions.

"Get down from there," he snapped, his voice harsher than he'd intended. "You'll break your neck and I am _not_ explaining to Dipwing that his sidekick died in the Negaverse."


	3. O-O-H Child

**_A/N: T_** ** _his one takes place after the Christmas one shot collection "Jingle Bell Rock" through "Happiest Christmas Tree". About a year after "Spirit In The Sky"._**

 ** _The line I was challenged to use for this story is: "Just sit down? Let me explain?_**

* * *

"And what have we learned?" Gosalyn asked, rummaging through the kitchen cabinets for some sort of rag or towel. After opening her fourth drawer, she came across a grease-stained cloth which was probably the best she was going to find, so she grabbed it and set it on the counter.

Glancing back at Negaduck, she saw him slumped in his chair, elbows resting on the kitchen table and head buried in his hands. Reminding herself to fetch some sort of painkiller later, Gosalyn walked over to him. She reached out to touch his shoulder, but thought better of it. He was jumpy when it came to physical contact at the best of times. And now was not one of those times.

Instead, she dug through her quiver and the noise seemed to stir Negaduck because he dropped a hand to glare up at her.

"You need a gun," he ground out, his gaze dropping to watch her rifle through her quiver.

"And after my arrows were the very weapons that saved you," Gosalyn scolded, shaking her head as she located her last turpentine arrow. Carrying it over to the counter, she glanced back at him. "Try again."

She heard him sigh heavily — and resolutely ignored the growl that was layered within the exhale — before he said, "Artists are the _worst_. Especially the anti… half-deconstruction types."

Gosalyn smirked as she poured some turpentine onto the rag. "She's a pseudo anti-postmodern deconstructionist."

"What-the-fuck-ever," Negaduck snarled.

"What else did you learn?" Gosalyn asked, walking back to him and reaching under his beak. Her fingers deftly untied his cape before he had time to react and she carried it back to the counter. Gosalyn dabbed at the paint splotches with the turpentine rag, satisfied when the paint already started to shift.

The clean up for this case wasn't all that bad, especially considering the other encounters Gosalyn had had with Splatter Phoenix. Negaduck had even managed to hold his own until Gosalyn had arrived to help.

 _Of course_ , she would've been there to back Negaduck up from the _beginning_ if he hadn't decided to change the meeting time _and_ place without _telling_ her.

She wasn't bitter.

Okay, she _was_.

But not as much as she could be.

Which was progress.

She just kept reminding herself that this was Negaduck. He'd never had anyone to depend on before and was still adjusting to having a partner, even two years later. This last minute schedule change was only a test; Gosalyn had promised to always be there for him, but she wouldn't always be there, isn't that what he'd told her? And this was his way of proving it. She wouldn't be there — couldn't be there — if she didn't know when to go and where to show up.

Except she _had_ been there, schedule change and all.

She'd been late, yes, but she'd been there.

 _And_ she'd saved him.

Because she'd tangled with Splatter Phoenix before and had come prepared with turpentine.

And Negaduck said guns were the best weapon. Not against paint, they're not. Gosalyn was mostly excited because she'd been _right_ and today supported her argument to keep her quiver instead of trading it in for some pistol or a rifle or whatever.

So, take _that_.

Except not tonight.

Negaduck's pride was hurt enough.

Which was why Gosalyn had assigned herself clean up duty.

But she _was_ trying to make a point with all of her questions. If Negaduck ever got his head out of his ass and saw what it was she was doing.

"Paint fumes hurt like a son of a bitch," Negaduck groaned, burying his head in his hands again. His fingers tangled through his feathers, unwittingly pushing his fedora up until it was balancing precariously atop his head.

Deciding he needed more attention than his paint-stained costume, Gosalyn set down her rag and the cape before disappearing upstairs. There was a first aid kit that Negaduck kept fully stocked, but he stored it in his room so he could tend to his injuries in private.

So, Gosalyn kept her own on the dresser across from her bed.

Quickly grabbing it, she re-entered the kitchen and filled a glass with water before sitting beside Negaduck at the table. Setting the water in front of him, Gosalyn dug through her first aid kit until she'd found the ibuprofen. She dispensed the appropriate amount into her palm before reaching out and removing the fedora from Negaduck's head.

He startled at the sudden loss — or maybe at Gosalyn being so close to him all of the sudden — but she used his surprise to her advantage, pressing the pills into one of his hands and sliding the water closer to him. Inspecting his hat for more paint, Gosalyn fought a smile when Negaduck popped the pills into his beak and downed the whole glass without hesitation.

She tossed the fedora towards the counter where his cape was still draped before she leaned towards the Masked Menace to see if he'd sustained any injuries. A small blob of blue paint stained edge of his beak and another was speckled above an eyebrow, half on his mask and half tinging his feathers blue, but he looked otherwise unharmed.

Rising and gathering the small canister of turpentine that had been in her arrow and a bottle of soap Negaduck kept near the sink for God-knows-what, Gosalyn said, "You should wash your mask and suit."

"Or I could burn the damn things," Negaduck said.

Gosalyn scoffed, sitting back down with the turpentine and soap before pulling out some cotton swabs from her first aid kit. "Yeah, _that'll_ help with the fumes."

"Better than wearing any of it again," he muttered.

"Sure, Negaduck." Gosalyn poured a small amount of turpentine on a cotton swab and reached forward to clean the paint of his beak, but Negaduck leaned away, a manic look in his eye.

"Don't you wanna start with soap and water?" he asked.

Gosalyn shook her head. "Won't be enough to get this paint off."

Negaduck glowered. "How do you know?"

"Experience." She locked eyes with him. "The turpentine _might_ irritate your skin, but that's the worst it'll do. I'll rinse it off right away." Gosalyn nodded to the other cotton swabs and soap she'd set on the table.

He studied her for a silent moment before he dropped his gaze in defeat.

A protectiveness surged through Gosalyn as she silently swore to always keep Negaduck safe.

Reaching forward slowly and using the smallest amount of pressure she could, Gosalyn cleaned the paint off of Negaduck's beak and then off the feathers above his mask.

"So, what else did you learn?" Gosalyn wondered, hoping to distract Negaduck from this demonstration of affection.

And hit her main point home.

But mostly to distract him.

"That you're pushy," Negaduck grumbled, but without his usual malice.

She raised an eyebrow at him when his gaze shot up to hers. "You're just _now_ realizing that?" Tossing the soiled cotton swab onto the table, she grabbed a clean one and squeezed some soap onto the woven fibers. Then she took up Negaduck's empty water glass and poured the last few drops of water onto the dollop of soap. "Nothing about rescheduling a case without me knowing?"

Only because she was sitting so close to Negaduck did Gosalyn notice his cheeks turn a slight shade of pink in his embarrassment. She pretended not to notice as she cleaned the turpentine from his beak.

"Listen…." Negaduck struggled to find the words, so Gosalyn supplied them herself.

"Just sit down? Let me explain? I'm the Lord of the Negaverse and can do whatever I damn well please?"

Negaduck scowled. "Your impression of me is awful."

"It's not, though," Gosalyn said with a smirk.

He sighed, irritation making a deep line appear between his eyebrows. Gosalyn took some pride in the fact that when her fingers went up to his forehead to wipe the turpentine away, the line all but disappeared.

"It's okay," Gosalyn said softly, focusing on her task. "You can change your schedule around all you want. I'll still be there."

Finished with _The Care and Feeding of Negaduck_ , Gosalyn shut her first aid kit and returned to the counter with her turpentine to clean his cape and fedora.

"You're wasting your time," he said. Gosalyn turned to argue but he continued, "I'm just going to burn the suit," nodding at the cape and fedora piled on the counter.

"But I'm getting the stains out," she argued, throwing the cape over to him for inspection. He caught it and barely glanced at it before loosing a low growl and stomping upstairs, tossing the black material onto the kitchen table as if it personally offended him.

Gosalyn smiled in satisfaction as she cleaned the fedora. But Negaduck returned to the kitchen, dressed in a clean suit complete with a fresh cape, hat, and mask before too long and dropped the stained suit on the seat he'd been occupying.

He pointed at her with a dark expression. "I better not find any paint on these or I'll burn them all."

Gosalyn grinned impishly at him. "You can trust me."

Negaduck just rolled his eyes before leaving with a dramatic brandish of his cape.

Settling in with Negaduck's suit, Gosalyn worked on getting all the stains out of the brightly colored fabrics.


	4. Come And Get Your Love

**_A/N: This one takes place after the Christmas one shot collection "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12-24" through "Deck The Halls". About a year after "O-O-H Child"._**

 ** _The line I was challenged to use for this story is: "You weren't there! I needed you!"_**

* * *

"Sooo…." Gosalyn leapt over a puddle in the middle of the street. A few more weeks of the heavy rainfall they'd been having and this whole intersection would become less of a thoroughfare and more of a swamp.

Which meant Negaduck would have to find an alternate route to this part of town. Part of him was annoyed at the idea because that required so much _work_. But the other part of him was filled with glee because the city was as unpredictable as he was, and the ever-changing landscape kept his minions on their toes.

When Negaduck didn't respond to Gosalyn, she sighed and said, "You're welcome."

Negaduck stopped his progress and whirled around to face the girl, the anger that had been rolling in the pit of his stomach bubbling over and consuming him.

To her credit, Gosalyn didn't flinch or even bat an eye as Negaduck spun to confront her. He liked to think it was because she was fearless rather than the more probable answer: she was used to him behaving this way.

And he _had_ raged at her before. Oh, how he'd raged. So, that begged the question: why was she still _here_? He clearly wasn't going to change his ways.

"You expect me to _thank_ you?" Negaduck growled, hands balling into fists as the anger coursed through him.

He didn't even know _why_ he was so upset. Sure, the case hadn't gone to plan and yeah, he was kind of ashamed that he'd had to rely so heavily on this girl before him, but none of that equated to this much pure unadulterated _rage_.

"I mean," Gosalyn shrugged. "I skipped right to the 'don't worry about it' part of the conversation, but if you want to thank me, I won't say no."

"You weren't there! I needed you!" Negaduck surprised even _himself_ with that admission, but there it was.

And suddenly all he could remember — all he could think about — was the chilling terror that had swept through him when he'd turned around and Gosalyn hadn't been where he'd expected to find her. His stomach had bottomed out as his breath had caught in his throat, choking him.

It'd been _years_ since he'd felt so helpless.

But the time didn't matter.

He hated it now as much as he had back then.

Immediately, Gosalyn sobered, her mischief and sarcasm falling from her face and replaced with sincerity. "Hold on," she soothed, hands coming up in surrender. "I was there."

"No you _weren't_!" Negaduck wasn't sure why he was fixating on this except that his mind kept bringing up that feeling of exposure. Of _vulnerability_.

"I _was_ ," Gosalyn reiterated, taking a step closer to him. "Remember the angle of my arrows after Ammonia flooded the alley with her floor cleaner?"

"You mean when I ran out of the alley with Ammonia gaining and I looked for backup that _wasn't coming_?" Negaduck asked.

He was being unfair.

He knew he was.

Gosalyn hadn't abandoned him; her still standing here was proof enough of that.

 _Still_.

"Focus," Gosalyn said, her voice infinitely gentle as she took another step closer to him. "Yes, you ran out of the alley. Yes, Ammonia followed you. And then what happened?"

Negaduck snarled. "What am I, a kid getting tested on the Revolutionary War?"

"If you were, you'd fail," Gosalyn quipped.

His stubbornness surging forward, Negaduck said, "I would not."

Gosalyn put her hands on her hips. "Can you tell me about the Siege of Yorktown?"

Negaduck scoffed.

 _Could_ he tell her about the Siege of Yorktown?

No.

No, he could not.

But he was stubborn till the last, so….

"It was when Yorktown was… sieged."

Gosalyn bit back a smile, but it still shone in her eyes. "By whom?"

"Does this matter?"

Gosalyn sighed. "I mean, it's not like Cornwallis surrendered there or anything, so it's not _that_ important to American history.…"

"Not the Siege! Though, I knew that. About Cornwallis." He hadn't. "This conversation. Does it _matter_?"

"You're the one who went off topic!" Gosalyn pointed out.

"Which came back to bite me in the ass because it just proved you were right."

Gosalyn's eyebrows shot up and she blinked at him for a few seconds. "C-can I get that in writing?"

Negaduck waved her away. "That I know everything about the Siege of Yorktown and Cornwallis's surrender? If it makes you feel better."

Gosalyn sighed heavily as she threw her hands into the air. "I don't know why I even bother."

She was starting to walk down the street, probably back to Avian Way, when Negaduck murmured, "I saw them."

Gosalyn turned back to look at him, her expression expectant as he took a breath, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Your arrows. They were fired from the roof."

And, yeah, now that he thought about it, a split second after the gaping cavern of uncertainty and vulnerability had opened before him with Ammonia coming closer and Negaduck not having a solid plan of attack or a plan of _any kind at all_ , an arrow had landed between him and Ammonia. The canister attached to the arrow fired dust into the air which had distracted the villainess long enough for Negaduck to wrestle her to the ground. Sure, Gosalyn hadn't come down from her perch to help restrain Ammonia, but Negaduck knew that she was ready to fire off any one of her arrows at the slightest sign of trouble.

But that moment of thinking he was alone — abandoned — had clung to him, its claws sharper than he would have thought.

"So, you know I was trying to get a better angle, right?" Gosalyn asked, her eyes not leaving his face. "That I would _never_ leave you?"

The question threw Negaduck for a loop and he blinked at her before shrugging. "I guess."

A moment of silence passed between them and Gosalyn smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "I guess progress is progress."

Negaduck nodded and started walking down the street. He didn't have to glance back to know that Gosalyn was following him.

"Hey," Gosalyn said, "remember that time when you admitted I was right? When you didn't know anything about Cornwallis's surrender?"

Negaduck shook his head. "I don't remember that."

"You don't remember Cornwallis or me being right? Because one is historical fact and the other is a general surrendering."

He bit back a smile as he glanced at her. She had her eyes cast down, stepping over cracks in the asphalt and weaving through the foliage that was growing up all around them. "Take your pick," he said.

She looked up at him, a scowl on her face. "One day, I'll make you admit that I'm right."

"You can't always be right."

"Okay, that sounds like a challenge and you _know_ how competitive I am."

Negaduck shook his head as they continued through the city.

He wanted her to be right.

So _desperately_ wanted to believe her claim that she wouldn't leave.

But something — past experience probably — held him back.

All he could do was hope that his brain and heart would be on the same page at some point.

Assuming, of course, that his heart still existed.


	5. Go All The Way

**_A/N: This one takes place after the Christmas one shot collection "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" through "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". About a year after "Come And Get Your Love"._**

 ** _The line I was challenged to use for this story is: "Please don't start with me, okay?"_**

* * *

Tires squealed against the asphalt, rivaling the volume of the blaring sirens. The cop cars, following Darkwing's Ratcatcher, veered around the city blocks in hot pursuit of Quackerjack's car.

Gosalyn hesitated in calling it a "car". Especially since it had the capability to transform into an airplane. And looked like a fancier Ratcatcher with compartments for each member of the Fearsome Four. It even looked like Quackerjack's face; how was it _not_ a discount Ratcatcher?

But Quackerjack insisted on calling it a car, so.

She'd learned to pick her battles when it came to the insane toy maker. Because he started _a lot_ of fights and quibbling over calling his vehicle a "car" vs. a "Transformer" wasn't worth it in the end. Besides, letting Quackerjack "win" some arguments gave him the illusion of power, so he was happier overall and, therefore, easier to manipulate into doing something else.

Gosalyn winced as she saw the Ratcatcher squeeze through downtown traffic to keep pace with Quackerjack. There was no way the police would be able to keep up now, which meant it would just be her father and Launchpad speeding after Quackerjack.

If Darkwing didn't get himself _killed_ first. And he said _she_ was reckless.

"Aren't you supposed to be down there with Dumwing Dork?" Negaduck asked, walking up to stand beside her and peering over the roof of the Second National Bank to watch the high speed chase below.

"Yeah, but I can join up with them once Quackerjack has crashed the Transformer."

Negaduck glanced at her. "Did he _agree_ to call it the Transformer?"

Gosalyn scoffed, pushing away from the ledge, not able to watch her father weave through the evening traffic any longer. "Doesn't matter if he _agreed_ , it's what it _is_."

The Masked Menace turned and leaned against the concrete ledge, peering at her in the dying light. "Tell me why we're up here so you can swoop down to Dorkwing and work out all this nervous energy."

Taking in a deep breath to steady her nerves, Gosalyn said, "I won't be able to meet Bugmaster with you tomorrow."

There was a pause, Negaduck's expression shuttering. "So." He glanced down at his feet. "You're gonna leave me high and dry."

"That's not—"

"Sounds _exactly_ like that to me!" Negaduck stalked away from the ledge, his hands balled into fists.

"If you'd just—"

"Just _what_?" Negaduck rounded on her, stepping up close so his face was only a few inches from hers. "Listen to your pathetic excuses as to why you can't make it? We've had this planned for at least a _month_ and now, the night before, you _mysteriously_ can't make it." He breathed in deeply, straightening his spine before he cooly said, "But now I'm curious: what excuse did you come up with?"

"I don't—"

"Oh, you just don't _want_ to go?" Negaduck nodded. "You have some precious daddy daughter time you would rather be apart of?"

"Hey!" Gosalyn snapped. That was below the belt. He _knew_ her father was off limits in arguments.

Speaking of her father, he needed her soon, so she really needed to wrap this up….

"That's it, isn't it?" Negaduck snarled, a ferocious jealousy flashing through his gaze as he spun away, his cape swirling behind him. "Some _family_ time."

"Please don't start with me, okay?" Gosalyn said, reaching forward and grabbing his cape. Tugging at it, she managed to snag his attention, but he only grabbed his cape and yanked it out of her fingers.

"I _forgot_ that Dad, Launchpad, and I are hanging out with Scrooge and his nephews all weekend. And _this_ has been planned for _months_ , Scrooge's schedule being what it is. I only remembered when Launchpad said something this morning…."

"Well," Negaduck growled, his face contorted between anger and envy, "have fun. I'll just be on my own tomorrow."

"Well, yes," Gosalyn said with a shrug. "But you get to have a relaxing night since I rescheduled our meeting with Bugmaster to Monday."

Gosalyn crossed to the ledge and check on the chase. Quackerjack was still going strong, rushing around corners and driving through the park to try and escape. But Darkwing was keeping pace the whole time, the Ratcatcher still just behind the Transformer.

Turning back to Negaduck and seeing him struggling for words, Gosalyn sighed. "You honestly think I'd duck out of anything without rescheduling first? I know you don't trust easily, but it's been _years_ , Negaduck. If I haven't left you in all this time, what makes you think I'll leave you _now_?"

Negaduck studied her, his expression still hesitant, still holding _something_ back, and Gosalyn knew she wasn't getting an answer.

Because Negaduck didn't know the answer either.

He wanted to trust her — she could see the yearning in his eyes, how he was so close to cracking a smile when she said something witty, how his hands twitched like he wanted to reach for her in the moments of crisis — but he wouldn't let himself. Gosalyn knew it probably went as far back as his childhood and his distrust had only been strengthened throughout his adult life as one relationship after another failed.

It broke her heart that after five years of partnership he was still so terrified of committing to her.

But she didn't blame him.

He'd come around at some point.

Or he wouldn't.

Not like Negaduck deciding to trust her was going to change anything on her end.

An ear-splitting screech followed by a thundering crash swelled around them, Gosalyn grabbing her bow and zip-line arrow.

"Well, that's my cue," she said, glancing over her shoulder to Negaduck. "See you Monday."

Not waiting for a response, Gosalyn fired her arrow and slid down towards the park where the Transformer had been reduced to collapsed steel and rubber, smoke billowing out of the hood.

Landing on another nearby rooftop, Gosalyn unsheathed and fired off another zip-line arrow, hoping Negaduck was going to be okay. She usually wasn't so blunt with her feelings towards him.

Once this little tryst with Quackerjack was over, she could always swing back to the Second National. See if he was still there and if he needed her to pick up his beak from where it had fallen on the concrete earlier.


	6. I Want You Back

_**A/N: This one takes place after the Christmas one shot collection "Let It Snow" through "The Christmas Song". About a year after "Go All The Way" and right after chapter 15 ("May I") in "I Bet My Life."**_

 _ **The line I was challenged to use for this story is: "Shut up already, I'm not going."**_

* * *

 _He barreled into Stellar, the two tumbling to the ground in a heap as he flicked open the plastic casing and pushed the button._

 _As light pooled around them, sucking them down into a cacophony of color and noise, the last thing Negaduck heard was Gosalyn screaming his name._

All that Negaduck was really cognizant of was that everything hurt. His shoulder throbbed underneath him. Every breath burned his lungs, making each inhale more of a weak wheeze. His head pounded, the scream of his name echoing against the insistent thumping.

…

Wait….

His name.

No one used his name….

Gosalyn.

Gosalyn did.

All the time.

But she wasn't just saying his name, she was _yelling_ it. Screaming it. Was she in trouble? Did she need him?

Whether she did or didn't, he had to get up and get to her.

Experimentally moving his legs, Negaduck winced, his muscles protesting in fire that shot up his spine.

But that didn't _matter_.

Not if Gosalyn needed him.

Feeling the damp stick of mud along one of his shoulders — incidentally, the same shoulder that was a ball of pain — he realized he was lying on his side. Inhaling deeply, he rolled himself over onto his stomach, unable to bite back the groan that ripped free from his throat. God, he felt like every single one of his minions had beaten him senseless. But _that_ would never happen, so what the _hell_ had Negaduck come across that had kicked his ass so badly?

Another groan rent the otherwise still air around him and Negaduck blinked his eyes open, peering around for the other….

Oh.

Well.

 _That_ explained a lot.

Stellar lie nearby, his arms stirring above his head as he moved.

Ignoring his body's screaming protests, Negaduck pushed himself to his feet, keeping his gaze fixed on his bleary father. Because Gosalyn's fear and Negaduck's soreness could easily be explained by something Stellar had done.

Fingers itching for a weapon, Negaduck dug through his pockets. And he came up with nothing.

So… what the hell? Negaduck never went _anywhere_ unarmed. Especially if Stellar was involved. Unease settling over him, Negaduck's motions became more frantic, more _desperate_ though he'd never say so. His eyes strayed, looking for items around the area that he could use against Stellar. God, literally _anything_ was better than nothing. _Please_.

And something somewhere must've been listening because a Glock was buried nearby in the mud. Breathing a sigh of relief, Negaduck stumbled over to it, gritting his teeth against the searing pain of every step. He lunged for the gleam of silver against the dull brown, whipping his cape around to clean off the weapon.

While he kept tabs on Stellar, stayed aware of where the older duck was, Negaduck knew he had a few moments. He could get his metaphorical feet under him because Gosalyn would watch Stellar. She was probably standing nearby, her bow at her shoulder, an arrow nocked and aimed at Negaduck's father. She could handle this.

Another gleam of metal snagged Negaduck's gaze and he wondered if the universe would bless him twice in one day by giving him _multiple_ weapons….

No, the universe was not blessing him.

It wasn't a weapon that had snagged his attention.

It was his Oblivion button.

The plastic casing had been lifted off and the round red button had been pressed.

Which meant Gosalyn was _not_ providing backup. She couldn't have anyway, could she? She'd been— Oh, God, she'd been _injured_ , hadn't she?

Gulping down air to steady his racing heart, Negaduck wondered what had happened—

There'd been a fight.

Gosalyn had been fighting a group of the Negaverse villains in Audubon Bay.

But the fight was over.

Negaduck was tending to her wounds.

Stellar showed up.

Negaduck pressed the button.

And here he and Stellar were.

In Oblivion.

Relief crashed down onto him, causing Negaduck to sway at the intensity of it.

Gosalyn was _safe_.

"Drakey," Stellar's voice broke through his thoughts, sounding rough in his mounting anger. "What did you _do_?"

Negaduck spared his father a glance, the older Mallard still splayed out in the mud, his suit stained and rumpled as he looked around with wide wild eyes.

With only one Glock and no partner to back him up, Negaduck could only do one thing.

Run.

Tucking away his weapon to better clean it later, Negaduck began clambering up the banks of Audubon Bay — Oblivion's Audubon Bay — his mind quickly supplying all the places he could hide away.

So, it was two things he had to do.

Run.

 _And_ hide.

"Don-don't you dare— Drakey! You get _back_ here!" Stellar loosed a half-groan, half-growl.

Negaduck was confident that Stellar wouldn't be back to his normal strength for a few hours. Dimension jumping hurt like a son of a bitch and now it explained all of Negaduck's symptoms.

Not to mention Stellar would have to orient himself within Oblivion, which had taken Negaduck a few days the last time he was here. It wasn't like he didn't know his way around the city, but the lack of any sort of life was disorienting. And creepy as _hell_. Even when he _knew_ he was alone, there was that voice in the back of his head that whispered, "But what if you're _not_?"

He'd gotten pretty paranoid after his last Oblivion visit.

Except now Negaduck _wasn't_ alone and this wasn't just a visit. Stellar would always be around and wasn't that comforting? As if the world of Oblivion wasn't creepy enough, just toss Stellar on top of that.

"Drakey," Stellar thundered. The tone seized the breath in Negaduck's throat, sent chills traipsing up his spine, but he kept going. No way Stellar was going to recover so quickly, not on his first — and only — journey to Oblivion. Negaduck had enough time to get away.

"Drake James Mallard!" Stellar screamed and damn, he must be _freaking out_ if he sounded that desperate. "Take us back right now!"

"Shut up already, I'm not going," Negaduck shouted back, not slowing his progress. He wanted nothing more than to collapse, to sit down until the pain passed, let his body and mind adjust to this new life he'd sentenced himself to, but he kept putting one foot agonizingly in front of the other.

He had to.

He had to raid a drug store, grab the necessities — starting with the biggest bottle of ibuprofen they had — and hunker down somewhere Stellar wouldn't think to look for him.

And then he'd have to find another place to hide out in.

And another.

And another.

"Going?" Stellar asked, the fury still in his tone even as his voice grew smaller, more distant. "Not going _back_? If that's what you mean, Drake Mallard, you have another thing— Drake! You get— Drake!"

Negaduck kept going.

Stellar couldn't, or wasn't, moving and Negaduck had to use this head start to his advantage.

God, what he wouldn't give to have Gosalyn at his side right now. Then he would _know_ that he'd be okay. She made _everything_ okay.

But she couldn't be here.

Because it wasn't safe.

It was safe in her own dimension. With Launchpad and Darkwing to look after her.

He wished she hadn't had to watch him disappear. The poor kid would probably blame herself; think that she should be here with him because she'd promised to never leave.

But she hadn't.

She _wouldn't_ have left him.

He knew that now.

Why did he did always realize these things too late?

He was the unluckiest son of a bitch he'd ever known.


End file.
